Pedal-action for pianos



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. IE. HAMMERLE.

PEDAL ACTION FOE PIANOS.

No. 447,319. Patented Mar. 3,1891.

(No Model.\ 2 SheetsSheet 2 P. HAMMERLE.

PEDAL ACTION FOR PIANOS.

No. 447,319. Patented Mar. 3,1891.

madam UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FRANZ HAMMERLE, OF CAMBRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS.

PEDAL-ACTION FOR PlAN OS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 447,319, dated March 3, 1891.

Application filed October 6, 1890. Serial No. 367,180. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, FRANZ HAMMERLE, of Cambridge, in the county of Middlesex, State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Pedal-Actions for Pianos, of which the following is a description sufficiently full, clear, and exact to enable any person skilled in the art or science to which said invention appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which Figure 1 is a perspective view of an upright piano, the case being broken away to show my improved attachment; Fig. 2, a front elevation of the hammer-action mechanism; and Fig. 3, an end elevation of the same, partly in section.

Like letters and figures of reference indicate corresponding parts in the different figures of the drawings.

Myinvention relates especially to the m iddle or tone-sustaining pedal-action for upright piano-fortes; and it consists in certain novel features hereinafter fully set forth and claimed, the object being to produce a simpler, cheaper, and more effective device of this character than is now in ordinary use.

The nature and operation of the improvement will be readily understood by all conversant with such matters from the following explanation:

In the drawings, A represents the pianocase, B the action-frame, and O the hammeraction considered asa whole. These parts being of the ordinaryconstruction and arrangement, it is not deemed essential to particularly describe the same herein. The damperlevers b are bent slightly at an obtuse angle, and are pivoted vertically at such point in ears at one cross-bar f, secured in the side bars of the frame 13 below the pivot g of the ordinary hammers D. These levers are preferably constructed of wood, and from the upper end of each a vertical wire rod 7L projects, to the top of which the felt-faced damper-head i is secured. A flat spring 7;, secured to the pivot and bearing against the upper end of the lever Z), tends to hold the head tin engagement with the piano-strings in the usual manner. A wire on is pendent from the lower end of each lever b, and is bent eccentrically or curved outwardly toward the case-front, forming a head 19. A horizontal crank-rod tis pivoted in the sides o of the action-frame below the damper-levers. Two arms to project at right angles from said rod in lines non-radial to the are which the crank-arms describe. The arms to are connected at their outer ends by a felt-covered. wire to. The are through which said wire passes when moved crosses the are of the heads p of the damper-wires at such point that it will not engage the damperwires when in their normal position. On one of the pivots of the rod '6, outside the frame 7), a lever z is mounted, said lever resting on a pin 15 in the frame, against which it is held by a spring 16 engaginga similar pin 17, tend ing to hold the wire a: outof engagement with the damper-wires. The pedal (see Fig. 1) is mounted between the ordinary pedals 26 and 27 of the piano and actuates a horizontally-pivoted lever 38, disposed under the keyboard. On the end of said lever avertical rod 29 is mounted, its upper end engaging the lever .2 and elevating it against the force of the spring 16 when said pedal is depressed.

In use when a key 30 is struck its red 31, elevating the forward end of the hammer-lever 32 of the action, throws the rod 33 thereon against the lower end of the corresponding damper-lever 1), moving its head 2' out of contact with the piano-strings and permitting them to vibrate when struck by the hammer in the usual manner. Thepivot of the damp er-levers b and the crank-rod '15 being in parallel vertical planes, as shown, when said levers are moved, as described, their wire heads 13 move inside or across the arc of the circle through which the rod or wireocwillpass into the position represented by dotted lines in Fig. 3.

To sustain the tones of thenotes struck and prevent their springs in from returning the dampers when the keys are released, the middle pedal 25 is depressed, throwing upward the bar 29 against the lever This elevates said lever, moving the crank 75 and throwing the felt-covered wire :0 against the heads 1) of the damper-wires, holding said dampers in the position assumed. hen the pedal is released, the spring 10 throws the leverzdownward against the stop 15, moving the wire m out of the path of the damper-wires, said dampers being at once thrown into engage ment with the vibrating wires by their springs 70.

By disposing my improved pedal-action below the dampers the parts may readily be reached for adjustment and the cost of construction is greatly lessened, the hammer-action being in no manner interfered with thereby, as frequently occurs. in devices of this character of ordinary construction.

Having thus explained my invention, what I claim is- In an upright piano, the dampers provided with eccentric projections, as p, at theirlower ends, in combination With a pedal-actuated crank-roddisposed in the piano-frame below I 5 said dampers and provided with arms non-radial to the arc of the crank-arms, and a strip of-flexible or rigid material connecting the outer ends of said arms in position to be thrown into engagement with said projections 20 when the dampers are moved by the pianoaction, substantially as described.

FRANZ HAMMERLE.

Vitnesses:

0. M. SHAW, K. DURFEE. 

